Backstreet's A.J.: Spears Needs To Wake Up
By The ShowBuzz's Caitlin A. Johnson
Their sixth album, "Unbreakable," is about to come out Oct. 30, but recent headlines have been overshadowing Backstreet Boys' long-awaited comeback.
The immensely popular boy-band from the 1990s and early 2000s hit the scene when teen stars were reclaiming the lime light and are contemporaries of 'NSync, Christina Aguilera, and, yes, the embattled former queen of them all, Britney Spears.
Spears recently had her children taken away from her by a judge who called her a habitual drug user. They are now staying with their father and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean has been sober for five years but was addicted to drugs until the most important people in his life, what McLean calls his "unit" staged an intervention. He then entered rehab. He said what Spears needs most is support and tough love from the people in her life.
"I think her unit is not as tight and there's not as many people who are looking out for her best interest unfortunately," McLean, 29, told The ShowBuzz. "You just have to have a really great support group and you have to love yourself first."Photos: Backstreet Boys
On the upside, McLean says the only way around a problem like drug addiction is through it, and that means the addict must face the harsh realities of how far the she has fallen. The latest issues in Spears' life many force her to do so, he said.
"With all that's happened as of recent, you know losing custody, this, that and the other, I think, you know, hopefully, unfortunately, this is a very drastic thing for someone to have to go through, but I think, hopefully, this will give her a wakeup call, and time to really kind of grow and get herself together and get her head on straight."
While Spears is battling her own issues, demons from the past seem to be coming back to haunt the Backstreet Boys. An article from the upcoming issue of Vanity Fair alleges that Lou Pearlman, the mastermind behind groups like 'NSync, Backstreet Boys and LFO, could have behaved in a sexually inappropriate manner with his clients, including the Backstreet Boys youngest member, Nick Carter.
In the article, his mother says that she tried to warn other parents that something inappropriate was going on and the things that happened nearly destroyed her family. When asked about the Vanity Fair story, Carter said he didn't want to comment, but acknowledged the issue.
"This is something that's been going on for years, talks and allegations," he said. "It's kinda old news, you know what I mean? So, really, there's no comment on the issue."